Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology

Chapter 1: The Present

Current Trends
PSYCH 205 - Abnormal Psychology

Current Trends - Deinstitutionalization

VIDEO: Deinstitutionalization Movement of the 60s [and its effects] and Other Mental Health Issues

Current Trends - Deinstitutionalization

Researchers develop a host of psychotropic drugs. o ex. Thorazine - antipsychotic Mental health professions around the world enact policies of deinstitutionalization. Releasing 100,000s of patients into the general population o Oh No They Didnt !!! Medicaid & Medicare

Current Trends - Deinstitutionalization

Antipsychotic drugs corrects extremely confused and distorted thinking. Antidepressant drugs lifts the mood of depressed people. Antianxiety drugs

reduces tension and worry.

Current Trends
Short-term hospitalization
institutionalization is needed)

How Are People with Severe Disturbances Cared For?

(if

Outpatient psychotherapy and medication in community programs and residences. (community

mental health approach) o lack of programming + o lack of follow-up care after release = minimal long-term recovery

Current Trends
Short-term hospitalization
institutionalization is needed)

How Are People with Severe Disturbances Cared For?

(if

At least 100,000 individuals with severe mental disturbances are homeless on any given day; 135,000 or more are inmates of jails and prisons
( Kooyman & Walsh, 2011; Althouse, 2010).

Outpatient psychotherapy and medication in community programs and residences. (community

mental health approach) o lack of programming + o lack of follow-up care after release = minimal long-term recovery

Current Trends

How Are People with Moderate Disturbances Cared For?

Before the 1950s Instituitonalized, or referred to ... Outpatient care = private psychotherapy, An individual directly pays a psychotherapist for counseling services. Since the 1950s Health insurance coverage expanded (including psychotherapy) Outpatient care = Dominant Offered in a number of less expensive settings community mental health centers, crisis intervention centers, and other social service agencies. Programs devoted exclusively to one kind of psychological problem. suicide prevention centers, substance abuse programs, eating disorder programs, and sexual dysfunction programs

Current Trends positive psychology

A Growing Emphasis on Preventing Disorders and Promoting Mental Health

The study and enhancement of positive feelings, traits, and abilities.

prevention Methods aimed at deterring mental disorders before they develop. (via the opening of community mental health centers)

Current Trends -

Community Mental Health Approach

VIDEO: Community Mental Health Centers: Prevention and Intervention

Current Trends - Community Mental Health Approach

Prevention
Goal = keeping people from developing a mental illness. Educational programs aimed at preventing particular behaviors and responses that could or are known to lead to psychological disorder. Addiction Eating Disorders Body Dysmorphic Disorder Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Intervention
Goal = preventing or decreasing the symptoms or side-effects of an existing psychological disorder Increase a persons ability to function in society. Suicide Hotlines Schizophrenia Autism Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Current Trends - Multicultural Psychology

Multicultural psychologists Responding to an increasing rise in diversity seek to understand how culture, race, ethnicity, gender affect behavior and thought and how people of different cultures, races, and genders may differ relative to one another psychologically

Current Trends -

The Growing Influence of Insurance Coverage.

Today the dominant form of coverage is the managed care program a program in which the insurance company determines such key issues as
which therapists its clients may choose, the cost of sessions, and the number of sessions for which a client may be reimbursed
( Domino, 2012; Glasser, 2010).

Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology

Chapter 1: The Present

What do Clinical Researchers Do?

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

3 Methods of Clinical Investigation:
Case Study
researchers compile a detailed account of a persons life and psychological problems.

Correlational study Experimental Study

researchers determine the degree in which two variables relate to one another. researchers manipulate suspected causes to see whether expected effects will result.

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

The Case Study:
Collects a persons ...
history, present circumstances, and possible symptoms

How are they helpful to the field?

Develop new ideas, theories and discoveries in behavior, Offer support for ... a current existing theory, or a new therapeutic technique Challenge existing theories Offer insight into unusual problems that are difficult to observe.

Helps in determining ...

how and why specific problems have developed possible treatments for diagnosis

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

The Case Study: Limitations
Observer Bias
Personal opinions of the therapist affecting proper diagnosis and treatment

Subjective Evidence
Are problems caused by what the patient or therapist say?

Little basis for generalization

Circumstances in one case may NOT be useful in understanding another (perhaps similar) case.

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

The Correlational Study:
Positive Correlation
variables change in the same directions. Ex. As temperatures increase, the sales of ice cream also increases. one variable increases; another variable decreases. Ex. The greater the depression, the lower the number of activities a person engages in.

Negative Correlation

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

The Correlational Study:
Magnitude (Strength)
how closely do the two variables relate or correspond to another. Strong / High = variables relate to one another very closely

Correlation Co-efficient - number term used to express strength and direction. + 1.00 = perfect positive correlation - 1.00 = perfect negative correlation +/- = direction number = magnitude/strength

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

The Correlational Study:

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

The Experimental Study:
Independent Variable
Manipulated to determine whether it has an effect on another variable.

Control Group
Participants who are not exposed to the independent variable.

Dependent variable
The variable in an experiment that is expected to change as the independent variable is manipulated.

Experimental Group
Participants who are exposed to the independent variable under investigation.

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

The Experimental Study:
Researcher must guard against . . . confounds
a variable other than the independent variable that is also acting on the dependent variable.

. . . by including 3 key features:

control group random assignment participants are randomly placed in the control group OR the experimental group. blind (double-blind) design participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or the control

Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology

Chapter 1: The Present

What are Todays Leading Theories and Professions?

What Are Todays Leading Theories and Professions?

Perspectives

What Are Todays Leading Theories and Professions?

Psychodynamic - Before 1950s Biological - Psychotropic drugs

Behavioral

Cognitive

Sociocultural

Humanistic-Existential

Perspectives

What Are Todays Leading Theories and Professions?

VIDEO: Evolution of Mental Health Professions: Counseling, Therapy and Beyond

What Are Todays Leading Theories and Professions?

Professions

Psychiatrist (M.D.)

- Mental health medical doctor; counsels patients, and can prescribe medication.
counsels patients without prescribing medications.

Psychologists (Ph.D/Psy.D) - Engage in academic, research and clinical settings; Clinical Social Workers (M.S.W./D.S.W) - Practice in both counseling AND
social work

Counselors and therapists (M.A./M.S.)

- Specialize in a specific area, such as addiction

Psychiatric nurses (RN) - Extensive practice in treating patients with mental illness

What Are Todays Leading Theories and Professions?

The End
What Are Todays Leading Theories and Professions?